The death toll in the Sikkim flash flood disaster has risen to 22, officials said on Friday, as the Army mounted a massive operation using helicopters to provide relief to thousands stranded in the deluge. The flash flood struck the tiny state on Wednesday because of the possible bursting of a high-altitude glacial lake near the China, Nepal border. The deceased include at least seven Army personnel.

The Defence PRO, Guwahati, said on Friday that military equipment including firearms, explosives had been washed away by the Teesta river. It warned the people to report unfamiliar objects in and around the river.

“Due to severe floods in Sikkim, certain military equipment including firearms and explosives were carried away in the Teesta river. We urge people to be vigilant and report any unfamiliar objects, crates, packages, firearms, or any suspicious items to the nearest PS. The Army has established lookout teams all along the river downstream,” it said.

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23 Army personnel had gone missing from Sikkim’s Bardang area when the flood struck. The bodies of seven have been found, while one personnel was rescued. The authorities are searching for the missing soldiers in Sikkim and north Bengal.

Four out of seven bodies have been identified. The bodies were recovered from the Teesta river basin and its tributaries in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts and Siliguri area of Darjeeling district in the northern part of West Bengal, which shares a border with Sikkim.

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103 people, including 15 jawans, are still missing in North Sikkim.

The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said in its bulletin that 2,411 stranded people had been evacuated.

26 relief camps in four affected districts have provided shelter to 7644 people.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved a sum of ₹44.8 crore from the SDRF fund to Sikkim to provide relief to the people of the state.

Following a directive from Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which will visit the affected areas of Sikkim soon to make an assessment of the damage caused due to a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cloudburst and flash floods, according to an official statement.

A total of 103 people were missing after the incident. Of them, 59 were reported missing in Pakyong, 22 in Gangtok, 17 in Mangan and five in Namchi.

Sikkim’s Chief Secretary VB Pathak said the army will rescue 3000 tourists stranded in Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang areas of Sikkim.

With inputs from PTI